- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०७६ BS
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड ८: उद्योग, वाणिज्य तथा आपूर्ति · Volume 8: Industry, Commerce and Supply
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF) Official text (PDF)
Used on our issue pages
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What it does
- No one may set up or run an industry without registering it. The federal Department of Industry registers industries that need a licence (Schedule 1), industries with foreign investment, industries working across two or more provinces, large industries and a few other listed types; all other industries are registered and regulated by the provinces (the federal government does this until a province has its own law). Once the papers are complete the registering body must issue the certificate within five days, and if it neither asks for missing papers nor decides within fifteen days the industry may start anyway. Two 2081 amendment Acts added start-up enterprises, online applications and electronic signatures.उद्योग दर्ता नगरी कसैले पनि उद्योग स्थापना वा सञ्चालन गर्न पाउँदैन। अनुमति लिनुपर्ने (अनुसूची–१ का) उद्योग, विदेशी लगानीका उद्योग, दुई वा बढी प्रदेशमा काम गर्ने उद्योग, ठूला उद्योग र केही अन्य तोकिएका उद्योग सङ्घीय उद्योग विभागमा दर्ता हुन्छन्; बाँकी उद्योगको दर्ता र नियमन प्रदेशले गर्छ (प्रदेशले कानून नबनाएसम्म सङ्घले गर्छ)। कागजात पुगेपछि पाँच दिनभित्र दर्ता प्रमाणपत्र दिनुपर्छ, र दर्ता गर्ने निकायले पन्ध्र दिनभित्र न अपुग कागजात माग्यो न निर्णय गर्यो भने उद्योग सञ्चालन गर्न बाधा पर्दैन। २०८१ का दुई संशोधन ऐनले स्टार्टअप उद्यम, अनलाइन निवेदन र विद्युतीय हस्ताक्षरको व्यवस्था थपेका छन्। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 3–5 and 4A, pp. 3–6
- Industries are classed by fixed capital: a micro enterprise has up to Rs 2 million in fixed capital (excluding land and buildings), up to nine workers and turnover below Rs 10 million; a small industry has up to Rs 150 million; a medium industry Rs 150–500 million; and a large industry more than Rs 500 million. Registered industries must start operating within the period stated on their certificate, get approval to relocate, expand or change ownership, and file annual details with the registering body within six months of the end of each fiscal year.उद्योगलाई स्थिर पूँजीका आधारमा वर्गीकरण गरिएको छ: घरजग्गाबाहेक बढीमा २० लाख रुपैयाँ स्थिर पूँजी, बढीमा नौ जना कामदार र एक करोडभन्दा कम वार्षिक कारोबार भएको लघु उद्यम; १५ करोडसम्मको साना उद्योग; १५ देखि ५० करोडसम्मको मझौला उद्योग; र ५० करोडभन्दा बढीको ठूला उद्योग। दर्ता भएको उद्योगले प्रमाणपत्रमा तोकिएको अवधिभित्र सञ्चालन सुरु गर्नुपर्छ, स्थानान्तरण, विस्तार वा स्वामित्व परिवर्तन गर्दा स्वीकृति लिनुपर्छ, र हरेक आर्थिक वर्ष सकिएको छ महिनाभित्र विवरण बुझाउनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 17(1), pp. 14–15; Sections 9, 11, 12, 12A and 13, pp. 9–12
- The Act sets out tax incentives on top of those in the tax laws: for example, a 20 per cent cut in the income tax rate for manufacturing industries (5 per cent more on export income), a 40 per cent cut for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and ropeways, and 90, 80 and 70 per cent cuts for ten years for manufacturing in least developed, underdeveloped and less developed areas. Tobacco and alcohol industries get none of these concessions, except fruit-based brandy, cider and wine. The incentives given under the Act may not later be reduced.ऐनले कर कानूनमा भएका सुविधाका अतिरिक्त आयकर छुट तोकेको छ: जस्तै, उत्पादनमूलक उद्योगको आयकर दरमा २० प्रतिशत छुट (निर्यात आयमा थप ५ प्रतिशत), सडक, पुल, रोपवेजस्ता पूर्वाधार उद्योगमा ४० प्रतिशत छुट, र अति अविकसित, अविकसित तथा कम विकसित क्षेत्रका उत्पादनमूलक उद्योगलाई दस वर्षसम्म क्रमशः ९०, ८० र ७० प्रतिशत छुट। फलफूलमा आधारित ब्राण्डी, साइडर र वाइनबाहेकका सुर्तीजन्य र मदिराजन्य उद्योगले यी कुनै छुट पाउँदैनन्। ऐनबमोजिम दिइएको सुविधा पछि घटाउन पाइँदैन। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 24(2)–(3), pp. 21–25; Section 33(1), p. 32
- Industries must buy their own land, but the registering body helps those that cannot, and large and national-priority industries may lease government land. The government may let an industry hold land above the legal ceiling, only for the approved purpose; a 2081 amendment allows up to half of such land to be mortgaged to banks for expansion. Medium and large industries, and smaller ones with annual turnover above Rs 150 million, must set aside at least 1 per cent of net profit each year for corporate social responsibility, report the spending within six months, and may deduct it for income tax.उद्योगले आफ्नो जग्गा आफैँ खरिद गर्नुपर्छ, तर खरिद गर्न नसकेमा दर्ता गर्ने निकायले सहजीकरण गर्छ, र ठूला तथा राष्ट्रिय प्राथमिकताप्राप्त उद्योगले सरकारी जग्गा लिजमा पाउन सक्छन्। सरकारले उद्योगलाई हदबन्दीभन्दा बढी जग्गा राख्ने छुट दिन सक्छ, जुन स्वीकृत प्रयोजनमा मात्र प्रयोग गर्नुपर्छ; २०८१ को संशोधनले त्यस्तो जग्गाको पचास प्रतिशतसम्म क्षमता विस्तारका लागि बैंकमा धितो राख्न दिएको छ। मझौला, ठूला र वार्षिक १५ करोडभन्दा बढी कारोबार गर्ने घरेलु वा साना उद्योगले हरेक वर्ष खुद मुनाफाको कम्तीमा एक प्रतिशत सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्वका लागि छुट्याउनुपर्छ, छ महिनाभित्र खर्च विवरण बुझाउनुपर्छ, र त्यो रकम आयकर प्रयोजनमा खर्च कट्टी गर्न पाइन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 30–32, pp. 30–32; Section 54, pp. 43–44
- An Industrial and Investment Promotion Board chaired by the Minister of Industry recommends industrial and investment policy, and a One-Stop Service Centre is to provide registration, licences, foreign-investment approval and incentives from one place. Running an industry without registration can be fined Rs 5,000 for micro and cottage industries up to Rs 100,000 for large ones, and acting against the industry's stated objective up to Rs 500,000.उद्योग मन्त्रीको अध्यक्षतामा रहेको औद्योगिक तथा लगानी प्रवर्द्धन बोर्डले औद्योगिक तथा लगानी नीतिबारे सिफारिस गर्छ, र एकल बिन्दु सेवा केन्द्रले दर्ता, अनुमति, विदेशी लगानी स्वीकृति र सुविधा एकै ठाउँबाट उपलब्ध गराउने व्यवस्था छ। दर्ता नगरी उद्योग चलाएमा लघु तथा घरेलु उद्योगलाई ५ हजारदेखि ठूला उद्योगलाई १ लाख रुपैयाँसम्म, र उद्देश्यविपरीत काम गरेमा ५ लाख रुपैयाँसम्म जरिबाना हुन सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 20–21, pp. 17–19; Sections 37–38, pp. 33–35; Section 43(1)–(2), pp. 37–38
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
- Not enforced The Department does not know which registered industries are actually operating. The Act requires every industry to report each year and allows the registering body to monitor and inspect. The Auditor General found that 10,219 industries were registered with the Department, 700 of them in 2081/82, but the Department had not established whether they were operating, and said it should monitor them as the Regulation requires.दर्ता भएका उद्योगमध्ये कुन सञ्चालनमा छन् भन्ने विभागलाई थाहा छैन। ऐनले प्रत्येक उद्योगलाई वार्षिक विवरण बुझाउन लगाएको छ र दर्ता गर्ने निकायलाई अनुगमन तथा निरीक्षणको अधिकार दिएको छ। महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार विभागमा १०,२१९ उद्योग दर्ता छन्, जसमध्ये ७०० उद्योग २०८१/८२ मा दर्ता भए, तर तिनको सञ्चालन अवस्था विभागले यकिन गरेको छैन; नियमावलीअनुसार अनुगमन गर्नुपर्ने सुझाव दिइएको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal OAG 63rd Annual Report, MoICS chapter, Department of Industry para 16, printed p. 185 (PDF p. 217); IBA ss. 10 and 13, pp. 9–12
- Not enforced Corporate social responsibility spending is not checked. In 2080/81, 46 foreign investors took Rs 12.58 billion out of Nepal as cash dividends; the Auditor General calculated that, counting the dividend alone as profit, at least Rs 125.79 million should have been set aside for social responsibility, and asked that the amount and its use be verified. A year later it again said the Department should monitor whether the money set aside was spent for its purpose.सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्वमा खर्च भयो कि भएन भन्ने जाँच हुँदैन। २०८०/८१ मा ४६ विदेशी लगानीकर्ताले नगद लाभांशबापत रु. १२ अर्ब ५७ करोड ९० लाख देशबाहिर लगेका थिए; लाभांशलाई मात्र मुनाफा मान्दा पनि कम्तीमा रु. १२ करोड ५७ लाख ९० हजार सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्वका लागि छुट्याउनुपर्ने महालेखापरीक्षकको हिसाब छ, र सो रकम छुट्याएर सम्बन्धित प्रयोजनमा खर्च भएको सुनिश्चित गर्न भनिएको छ। अर्को वर्ष पनि महालेखापरीक्षकले छुट्याइएको रकम सम्बन्धित प्रयोजनमा खर्च भए-नभएको विभागले अनुगमन गर्नुपर्ने भनेको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, MoICS chapter, para 19, printed p. 193 (PDF p. 223); OAG 63rd Annual Report, MoICS chapter, para 20, printed p. 186 (PDF p. 218); IBA s. 54, pp. 43–44
- Loophole Export-oriented status has been granted without meeting the Act's definition. The Act defines an export-oriented industry as one exporting more than 40 per cent of its output, and customs rules tie bonded-warehouse facilities to that definition. The Auditor General found that the Department of Customs had licensed a bonded warehouse for a liquor producer that did not export even 20 per cent of its output, and that the producer had used Rs 103.76 million of duty facility against two bank guarantees that had not been settled; it asked for an investigation and recovery of the duty.ऐनको परिभाषा पूरा नगरी निर्यातमूलक सुविधा दिइएको पाइएको छ। ऐनले उत्पादनको चालीस प्रतिशतभन्दा बढी निर्यात गर्ने उद्योगलाई निर्यातमूलक उद्योग भनेको छ, र भन्सार नियमावलीले बण्डेड वेयरहाउस सुविधा यसैसँग जोडेको छ। महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार उत्पादनको बीस प्रतिशत पनि निर्यात नगरेको एक मदिरा उद्योगलाई भन्सार विभागले बण्डेड वेयरहाउसको इजाजत दियो, र सो उद्योगले दुई बैंक जमानतमार्फत रु. १० करोड ३७ लाख ६२ हजारको सुविधा लिएकोमा जमानत फर्छ्योट भएको छैन; छानबिन गरी छुटेको महसुल असुल गर्न भनिएको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, Ministry of Finance chapter (Department of Customs), para 142, printed pp. 160–161 (PDF pp. 190–191); IBA s. 2(jha), p. 2
- Unclear Tax incentives promised by the Act are hard to use when the tax laws do not repeat them. In submissions reproduced as annexes to the High-Level Economic Reform Commission's report, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said the Act's tax incentives should also be written into the Income Tax Act and the Finance Act, and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries said that the income-tax deduction for social-responsibility spending under Section 54(4) could not be used because the Income Tax Act (Finance Act) contains no matching provision.ऐनले दिएका कर सुविधा कर कानूनमा पनि नलेखिँदा उपयोग गर्न कठिन भएको छ। उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोगको प्रतिवेदनको अनुसूचीमा राखिएका सुझावमा नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघले ऐनले दिएका कर सुविधा आयकर ऐन र आर्थिक ऐनमा पनि राख्नुपर्ने बताएको छ, र नेपाल उद्योग परिसंघले दफा ५४(४) बमोजिम सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्वको खर्च करयोग्य आयबाट कट्टी गर्न पाउने व्यवस्था भए पनि आयकर ऐन (आर्थिक ऐन) मा व्यवस्था नभएकाले उपयोग गर्न नपाइएको बताएको छ। High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal HLERC report, Annex 1 (FNCCI submission), printed p. 348 (PDF p. 415); Annex 2 (CNI submission), printed p. 352 (PDF p. 419); IBA s. 54(4), p. 44
Ideas to fix it
- Monitor whether registered industries are operating, as the Industrial Business Regulation requires.दर्ता भएका उद्योग सञ्चालनमा छन् कि छैनन् भनी औद्योगिक व्यवसाय नियमावलीअनुसार अनुगमन गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (63rd Annual Report) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
- Make sure industries set aside the required social-responsibility amount, keep records of it, and spend it for its purpose, with the Department monitoring this.उद्योगले तोकिएको सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्व रकम छुट्याई अभिलेख राखेर सम्बन्धित प्रयोजनमा खर्च गरेको सुनिश्चित गर्ने र विभागले अनुगमन गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd and 63rd Annual Reports) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
- Investigate the bonded-warehouse licence given to a producer that did not meet the export threshold, and recover the duty forgone.निर्यातको सीमा पूरा नगरेको उद्योगलाई दिइएको बण्डेड वेयरहाउस इजाजतबारे छानबिन गरी छुटेको महसुल असुल गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd Annual Report) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
- Write the tax incentives granted by the Industrial Business Act into the Income Tax Act and the Finance Act so that they can be applied; and include the incentives that sector laws promise in the tax and finance laws.औद्योगिक व्यवसाय ऐनले दिएका कर सुविधा लागू गर्न सकिने गरी आयकर ऐन र आर्थिक ऐनमा पनि राख्ने; क्षेत्रगत ऐनले दिने भनेका सुविधा कर तथा आर्थिक कानूनमा समेत समावेश गर्ने। Proposed by: Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Confederation of Nepalese Industries (submissions annexed to the HLERC report) High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance
Where it conflicts with other laws
- आयकर ऐन, २०५८
The Auditor General points to a clash over tax breaks for alcohol producers. The Income Tax Act gives listed manufacturing companies a 15 per cent tax concession, while Section 24 of the Industrial Business Act says tobacco and alcohol industries (other than fruit-based brandy, cider and wine) get no tax concession or facility. A listed alcohol company under the Large Taxpayers Office paid tax at 25.5 per cent on Rs 5.13 billion of taxable income over four income years including 2079/80, which the Auditor General said it was not entitled to; it asked for an investigation into the Rs 230.9 million concession.मदिरा उत्पादकलाई दिइने कर छुटमा दुई ऐन बाझिएको महालेखापरीक्षकले औँल्याएको छ। आयकर ऐनले धितोपत्र बजारमा सूचीकृत उत्पादनमूलक उद्योगलाई करमा १५ प्रतिशत छुट दिन्छ, तर औद्योगिक व्यवसाय ऐनको दफा २४ ले फलफूलमा आधारित ब्राण्डी, साइडर र वाइनबाहेकका सुर्तीजन्य र मदिराजन्य उद्योगले कुनै पनि कर छुट वा सुविधा नपाउने भनेको छ। ठूला करदाता कार्यालयअन्तर्गतको एक सूचीकृत मदिरा कम्पनीले २०७९/८० समेत चार आय वर्षमा रु. ५ अर्ब १३ करोडको करयोग्य आयमा २५.५ प्रतिशतका दरले कर बुझाएको र त्यो छुट पाउने आधार नदेखिएकाले रु. २३ करोड ८ लाख ९८ हजारको छुटबारे छानबिन गर्न महालेखापरीक्षकले भनेको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, Ministry of Finance chapter (Inland Revenue), para 84, printed p. 131 (PDF p. 161); IBA s. 24(3), p. 25
Regulations and rules made under it
- औद्योगिक व्यवसाय (पहिलो संशोधन) नियमावली, २०८१ Status not yet confirmed
- औद्योगिक व्यवसाय नियमावली, २०७८ In force